Scan tool for electronic battery tester

ABSTRACT

An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery includes a first and a second electrical connector configured to electrically couple to terminals of the storage battery. Measurement circuitry tests the storage battery and generate a battery test result. OBD communication circuitry provides an OBD output signal in accordance with an OBD communication standard related to the battery test result. An OBD connector is configured to couple to an OBD compliant automotive vehicle scan tool.

The present application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,812, filed Oct. 5, 2004 which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/460,749, filed Jun. 12, 2003, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/280,186, filed Oct. 25, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,849; which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/816,768, filed Mar. 23, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,941, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/192,222, filed Mar. 27, 2000, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to battery testers of the type used to test storage batteries. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular battery tester capable of interfacing with other types of test equipment.

Various types of battery testers are known in the art. One type of battery tester is based upon the measurement of a dynamic parameter, such as dynamic conductance. Examples of various battery testers and monitors are forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,708, issued Sep. 30, 1975, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768, issued Mar. 28, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr. 25, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING; U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE SCALING TO DETERMINE DYNAMIC CONDUCTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE WITH STATE-OF-CHARGE COMPENSATION; U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 18, 1992, to Champlin, entitled ELECTRONIC TESTER FOR ASSESSING BATTERY/CELL CAPACITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING TIME-VARYING SIGNALS IN BATTERIES UNDERGOING CHARGING OR DISCHARGING; U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issued Nov. 5, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION AND CONTROL OF THERMAL RUNAWAY IN A BATTERY UNDER CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,416, issued Dec. 10, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issued Dec. 17, 1996, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH AUTOMATIC COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF-CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,757, issued Dec. 31, 1996, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STEP-CHARGING BATTERIES TO OPTIMIZE CHARGE ACCEPTANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTING DEVICE LOOSE TERMINAL CONNECTION DETECTION VIA A COMPARISON CIRCUIT; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan. 28, 1997, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH VERY HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,920, issued Aug. 12, 1997, entitled METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING THE CHARGING LEAD-ACID BATTERIES AND AN INTERACTIVE CHARGER; U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,192, issued May 26, 1998, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A BAD CELL IN A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,756, issued Oct. 13, 1998, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH TAILORED COMPENSATION FOR LOW STATE-OF CHARGE; U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,435, issued Nov. 3, 1998, entitled BATTERY TESTER FOR JIS STANDARD; U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,858, issued Feb. 16, 1999, entitled ANTI-THEFT BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,605, issued Jun. 22, 1999, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,829, issued Aug. 31, 1999, entitled MIDPOINT BATTERY MONITORING; U.S. Pat. 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No. 6,424,158, issued Jul. 23, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON BATTERIES AND FOR RAPIDLY CHARGING BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,585, issued Aug. 17, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING RECHARGEABLE ENERGY STORAGE BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,957, issued Aug. 20, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SURGE, SHORT, AND REVERSE POLARITY CONNECTION PROTECTION; U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,158, issued Sep. 3, 2002, entitled VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,045, issued Sep. 24, 2002, entitled INTEGRATED CONDUCTANCE AND LOAD TEST BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,025, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,908, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,026, issued Oct. 15, 2002, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,511, issued Nov. 22, 2002, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENT SENSOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,990, issued Dec. 17, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING STORED CHARGE IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL OR BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,209, issued Dec. 24, 2002, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A CRANKING SUBSYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,196, issued Jan. 14, 2003; entitled BATTERY HAVING DISCHARGE STATE INDICATION; U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,993, issued Mar. 18, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,078, issued Apr. 8, 2003, entitled BATTERY CLAMP WITH INTEGRATED CURRENT SENSOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,019, issued Apr. 29, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,566,883, issued May 20, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,941, issued Jul. 1, 2003, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH DATABUS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,597,150, issued Jul. 22, 2003, entitled METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING JUMP-START BOOSTER PACKS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,272, issued Sep. 16, 2003, entitled PROGRAMMABLE CURRENT EXCITER FOR MEASURING AC IMMITTANCE OF CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,314, issued Sep. 23, 2003, entitled KELVIN CLAMP FOR ELECTRICALLY COUPLING TO A BATTERY CONTACT; U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,165, issued Oct. 14, 2003, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,974, issued Oct. 21, 2003, entitled SELF-LEARNING POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD; U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,303, issued Mar. 16, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,831, issued May 18, 2004, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A CIRCUIT MODEL TO EVALUATE CELL/BATTERY PARAMETERS; U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,149, issued Jun. 1, 2004, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING STEP-DOWN POWER CONVERSION USING AN INTELLIGENT SWITCH; U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,849, issued Jul. 6, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE A REMOVABLE DIGITAL MODULE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,382, issued Aug. 24, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,025, filed Sep. 7, 2004, entitled BATTERY CHARGER WITH BOOSTER PACK; U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,782, issued Sep. 21, 2004, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,090, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled CHARGE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE BATTERY; U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,716, filed Oct. 19, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,037, filed Feb. 1, 2005, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITORING; U.S. Ser. No. 09/780,146, filed Feb. 9, 2001, entitled STORAGE BATTERY WITH INTEGRAL BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 09/756,638, filed Jan. 8, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY PROPERTIES FROM COMPLEX IMPEDANCE/ADMITTANCE; U.S. Ser. No. 09/862,783, filed May 21, 2001, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS; U.S. Ser. No. 09/880,473, filed Jun. 13, 2001; entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/348,479, filed Oct. 29, 2001, entitled CONCEPT FOR TESTING HIGH POWER VRLA BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/046,659, filed Oct. 29, 2001, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 09/993,468, filed Nov. 14, 2001, entitled KELVIN CONNECTOR FOR A BATTERY POST; U.S. Ser. No. 10/042,451, filed Jan. 8, 2002, entitled BATTERY CHARGE CONTROL DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/093,853, filed Mar. 7, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION; U.S. Ser. No. 10/098,741, filed Mar. 14, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Ser. No. 10/112,114, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled BOOSTER PACK WITH STORAGE CAPACITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/109,734, filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COUNTERACTING SELF DISCHARGE IN A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/112,998, filed Mar. 29, 2002, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY REPLACEMENT OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/119,297, filed Apr. 9, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CELLS AND BATTERIES EMBEDDED IN SERIES/PARALLEL SYSTEMS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/387,046, filed Jun. 7, 2002, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE LIFE OF A STORAGE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/200,041, filed Jul. 19, 2002, entitled AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/217,913, filed Aug. 13, 2002, entitled, BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/246,439, filed Sep. 18, 2002, entitled BATTERY TESTER UPGRADE USING SOFTWARE KEY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,473, filed Oct. 2, 2002, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/310,385, filed Dec. 5, 2002, entitled BATTERY TEST MODULE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/437,224, filed Dec. 31, 2002, entitled DISCHARGE VOLTAGE PREDICTIONS; U.S. Ser. No. 10/349,053, filed Jan. 22, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING A BATTERY FROM OVERDISCHARGE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/388,855, filed Mar. 14, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY FAILURE TEMPERATURE DETERMINATION; U.S. Ser. No. 10/396,550, filed Mar. 25, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/467,872, filed May 5, 2003, entitled METHOD FOR DETERMINING BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE; U.S. Ser. No. 60/477,082, filed Jun. 9, 2003, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/460,749, filed Jun. 12, 2003, entitled MODULAR BATTERY TESTER FOR SCAN TOOL; U.S. Ser. No. 10/462,323, filed Jun. 16, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER HAVING A USER INTERFACE TO CONFIGURE A PRINTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/601,608, filed Jun. 23, 2003, entitled CABLE FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/601,432, filed Jun. 23, 2003, entitled BATTERY TESTER CABLE WITH MEMORY; U.S. Ser. No. 60/490,153, filed Jul. 25, 2003, entitled SHUNT CONNECTION TO A PCB FOR AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/653,342, filed Sep. 2, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER CONFIGURED TO PREDICT A LOAD TEST RESULT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/654,098, filed Sep. 3, 2003, entitled BATTERY TEST OUTPUTS ADJUSTED BASED UPON BATTERY TEMPERATURE AND THE STATE OF DISCHARGE OF THE BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/656,526, filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR. MEASURING A PARAMETER OF A VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 10/656,538, filed Sep. 5, 2003, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER WITH ENCODED OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/675,933, filed Sep. 30, 2003, entitled QUERY BASED ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/678,629, filed Oct. 3, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER/CHARGER WITH INTEGRATED BATTERY CELL TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT DEVICE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/441,271, filed May 19, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 09/653,963, filed Sep. 1, 2000, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER GENERATION AND STORAGE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/174,110, filed Jun. 18, 2002, entitled DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT CONTROL USING AN INTELLIGENT POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 60/488,775, filed Jul. 21, 2003, entitled ULTRASONICALLY ASSISTED CHARGING; U.S. Ser. No. 10/258,441, filed Apr. 9, 2003, entitled CURRENT MEASURING CIRCUIT SUITED FOR BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/705,020, filed Nov. 11, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING A BATTERY TESTER WITH A FIXED RESISTANCE LOAD; U.S. Ser. No. 10/681,666, filed Oct. 8, 2003, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH PROBE LIGHT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/748,792, filed Dec. 30, 2003, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE REMAINING DISCHARGE TIME OF A BATTERY; U.S. Ser. No. 10/783,682, filed Feb. 20, 2004, entitled REPLACEABLE CLAMP FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/548,513, filed Feb. 27, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/791,141, filed Mar. 2, 2004, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDITING A BATTERY TEST; U.S. Ser. No. 60/557,366, filed Mar. 29, 2004, entitled BATTERY MONITORING SYSTEM WITHOUT CURRENT MEASUREMENT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/823,140, filed Apr. 13, 2004, entitled THEFT PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SERVICE CENTERS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/575,945, filed Jun. 1, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING FAULTY BATTERY POST ADAPTERS; U.S. Ser. No. 60/577,345, filed Jun. 4, 2004, entitled NEW METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY TESTING A BATTERY AND TRANSMITTING DATA TO ANOTHER MODULE IN A VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/864,904, filed Jun. 9, 2004, entitled ALTERNATOR TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/867,385, filed Jun. 14, 2004, entitled ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/870,680, filed Jun. 17, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH RELATIVE TEST OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 60/582,925, filed Jun. 25, 2004, entitled BATTERY TESTER WITH BATTERY POTENTIAL FOR RECOVERY OUTPUT; U.S. Ser. No. 10/883,019, filed Jul. 1, 2004, entitled MODULAR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 60/585,700, filed Jul. 6, 2004, entitled TEST STATION; U.S. Ser. No. 60/587,232, filed Jul. 12, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/896,835, filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled BROAD-BAND LOW-INDUCTANCE CABLES FOR MAKING KELVIN CONNECTIONS TO ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS AND BATTERIES; U.S. Ser. No. 10/896,834, filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 10/897,801, filed Jul. 23, 2004, entitled SHUNT CONNECTION TO A PCB FOR AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYED IN AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE; U.S. Ser. No. 10/914,304, filed Aug. 9, 2004, entitled ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER WITH NETWORK COMMUNICATION U.S. Ser. No. 60/603,078, filed Aug. 20, 2004, entitled SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY GATHERING BATTERY INFORMATION FOR USE DURING BATTERY TESTING/CHARGING; U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,821, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled IN-VEHICLE BATTERY MONITOR; U.S. Ser. No. 10/958,812, filed Oct. 5, 2004, entitled SCAN TOOL FOR ELECTRONIC BATTERY TESTER; U.S. Ser. No. 11/008,456, filed Dec. 9, 2004, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING BATTERY CAPACITY AND FITNESS FOR SERVICE FROM A BATTERY DYNAMIC PARAMETER AND A RECOVERY VOLTAGE DIFFERENTIAL, U.S. Ser. No. 60/587,232, filed Dec. 14, 2004, entitled CELLTRON ULTRA, U.S. Ser. No. 11/018,785, filed Dec. 21, 2004, entitled WIRELESS BATTERY MONITOR; which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

In general, battery testing techniques have used a single, integrated stand-alone unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery including electrical connectors configured to electrically couple to a terminals of the storage battery. Measurement circuitry couples to the electrical connectors and is configured to test the storage battery and generate a battery test result. OBD communication circuitry provides an OBD output signal in accordance with an OBD communication standard related to the battery test result.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing battery test circuitry coupled to external circuitry through a databus.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram showing a scan tool which is one type of external circuitry shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram showing battery test circuitry.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of external circuitry configured to couple to the battery test circuitry of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram showing connection of a battery tester to an on board database of a vehicle via a scan tool.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cable including a scan tool used to couple a battery tester to a vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram of the scan tool and battery tester shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention for communicating with a scan tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Typically, battery testers have been stand-alone units. The present invention provides a battery tester 10 such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 which includes a databus 12 for coupling to external circuitry 14. Battery tester 10 is configured to couple to storage battery 16 through electrical connectors 18 to perform a battery test on battery 16. Connectors 18 can be, for example, Kelvin type connectors. Typically, test circuitry 10 will obtain a dynamic parameter of the battery using an AC forcing function. Examples include dynamic conductance, resistance, admittance, impedance, their combinations, or others. However, any type of battery test can be performed including battery testing which involves application of large loads, or application of large currents or voltages such as through a charger, simple voltage measurements, etc. In one embodiment, the battery tester 10 is permanently mounted in a automotive vehicle such as the type of vehicle that uses a internal combustion engine or an electric engine.

Databus 12 is used to exchange information with external circuitry 14. Such information includes, for example, raw data measurements and conclusions of battery tester 10, and inputs, such as user inputs and other sensor inputs into battery tester 10. Further, external circuitry 14 can control battery tester 10 through databus 12 and provide information such as a battery rating to battery tester 10 for use in performing a battery test. Databus 12 can be a proprietary databus or can be in accordance with known standards such as RS232, CAN, ISA, PCI, PCMCIA, etc. Battery tester 10 can be configured to communicate with portable devices such as portable notebook computers, PDAs (Personal Data Assistants) such as a Palm Pilot™, etc. The databus 12 can also be configured to interface with other types of equipment which are used in the automotive industry such as “scan” tools which are used to interface with the on-board computer in a vehicle. Such scan tools are known in the art and are used to perform diagnostics and retrieve information from the on-board computer. In such an embodiment, databus 12 can be in accordance with the databus used in OBD (on-board diagnostic) systems.

The battery tester 10 of FIG. 1 can be a modular component of a scan tool formed by external circuitry 14. In another aspect of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 2, the battery tester 10 is an integral component of a scan tool 20. FIG. 2 also illustrates a second databus 22 which is used to couple to an on-board computer of a vehicle.

In embodiments which utilize a scan tool, an operator is able to perform a battery test using the same scan tool used for diagnosing other conditions of the vehicle. Further, the scan tool can selectively instruct an operator to perform a battery test or control operation of the battery test based upon data retrieved from the on-board vehicle computer system through bus 22. This can be part of an overall diagnostic system used to provide more accurate diagnostics of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the battery test circuitry requires information through bus 22 or monitors the flow of information on a databus of the vehicle. The test circuit can obtain information about battery type, battery rating, and charge history. Additionally, if the vehicle contains an internal battery tester, information regarding battery tests or battery measurements can be obtained or monitored through bus 22. In such an embodiment, test circuit 10 does not need to perform a battery test itself, or couple to the battery.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of battery test circuitry 10 which includes a forcing function 40 and an amplifier 42 coupled to connectors 18. In the illustration of FIG. 3, connectors 18 are shown as Kelvin connections. The forcing function 40 can be any type of signal which has a time varying component including a transient signal. The forcing function can be through application of a load or by applying an active signal to battery 16. A response signal is sensed by amplifier 42 and provided to analog to digital converter 44 which couples to microprocessor 46. Microprocessor 46 operates in accordance with instructions stored in memory 48. In accordance with the invention, microprocessor 46 can store data into memory 48.

Input/output (I/O) is provided for coupling to the databus 12. I/O 102 can be in accordance with the desired standard or protocol as described above. Data collected by battery test circuitry 10 can be stored in memory 48 and transmitted over bus 12 when pulled by external circuitry 14. In one embodiment, input/output 52 comprises an RF (Radio Frequency) or IR (Infrared) input/output circuit and bus 12 comprises electromagnetic radiation. The logged data can comprise individual measurement points such as voltage and/or current measurements, either static or dynamic. Additionally, the logged data can comprise time and data information, operating conditions such as temperature, charge, etc. In addition to logging raw data, calculated data such as calculated conductance or battery condition, battery state of health, battery state of charge, etc. can be logged.

Of course, the illustration of FIG. 3 is simply one simplified embodiment and other embodiments are in accordance with the invention. Databus 12 may be capable of coupling directly to memory 48 for retrieval of stored data. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment microprocessor 46 is configured to measure a dynamic parameter based upon the forcing function 40. This dynamic parameter can be correlated with battery condition as set forth in the above-mentioned Champlin and Midtronics, Inc. patents. However, other types of battery tests circuitry can be used in the present invention and certain aspects of the invention should not be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated herein. FIG. 3 also illustrates an optional input/output block 50 which can be any other type of input and/or output coupled to microprocessor 46. For example, this can be used to couple to external devices or to facilitate user input and/or output. Databus 12 can also be used to provide data or instructions to microprocessor 46. This can instruct the microprocessor 46 to perform a certain test, transmit specified data, update programming instructions, constant test parameters, etc. stored in memory 48. Although a microprocessor 46 is shown, other types of computational or other circuitry can be used to collect and place data into memory 48.

In one embodiment, I/O 50 comprises an interface to a removable digital storage medium, for example a Secure Digital (SD) card. Similarly, the I/O 50 can be configured to provide a multimedia interface to an MMC card. The databus 12 can be in accordance with any particular standard or otherwise for use in communicating with a scan tool. Additional examples includes RS-485, current loops, J1939, J1850 or a CAN bus.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed block diagram of external circuitry 14. External circuitry 14 includes input/output (I/O) circuitry 150 for coupling to databus 12. Again, if databus 12 is through a non-physical connections such as infrared or radio frequency, I/O circuitry 150 should operate accordingly. A microprocessor 152 couples to memory 154 and operates at a rate determined by a system clock 156. Microprocessor 152 can provide an output through display 158 and receive input from an operator through input 160. In operation, circuitry 14 is operably coupled to battery test circuitry through databus 12 and is configured to send and receive information through databus 12. An operator can instruct microprocessor 152 or microprocessor 152 can operate automatically, to retrieve data from memory 48 in battery test circuitry 10. The microprocessor 152 can process the data to calculate battery condition and follow trends in the measured values retrieved from memory 48. This information can be used to diagnose the condition of the battery 16 as well as use a charge and discharge history experienced by battery 16. Further, the information can be used to validate warranty claims in which a battery is returned to a manufacturer under a claim that it is defective.

External circuitry 14 can include additional input, output or input/output circuits 162 for communication using other techniques. For example, data can be sent to a printer or other computer system. Any type of data link can be used including modems, Ethernet or networking connections, etc.

In one embodiment, the external circuitry 14 comprises a personal data assistant (PDA) such as a Palm Pilot™. In such an embodiment, I/O 100 in battery test circuitry 10 can comprise a cradle which is adapted to receive the PDA. In such an embodiment, the PDA can simply be “dropped” into the cradle in order to exchange data with test circuitry 10. Similarly, many PDAs include an infrared or RF link which can be used to exchange data with battery test circuitry 10.

As discussed above, the battery tester circuitry 10 can be a modular component of a scan tool. For example, that scan tool can comprise external circuitry 14 shown in FIG. 1 and the databus 12 can be part of a cabling connection between the battery test circuitry 10 and the scan tool 14. In such an embodiment, there are a number of implementations of the present invention. In one aspect, all of the test circuitry necessary for performing a battery test if contained in the battery test circuitry 10. The final result of the battery test is provided to the scan tool 14 over the databus. Further, operator instructions or display data can be provided to the scan tool 14 and the battery test circuitry 10 can utilize a display 158, I/O 162, input 160 or other circuitry available in the scan tool 14. In another example, the microprocessor 152 of the scan tool 14 performs any calculations used in a battery test, and the battery test circuitry 10 includes less complex components such as the analog components required for performing a battery test. For example, the test circuitry 10 can contain the forcing function 40 and sensor 42. Analog values can be provided to the scan tool 14 and then digitize the received analog values. In another example, the analog values are digitized within the battery test circuitry 10 and provides it in a digital format to the scan tool 14. In another example embodiment, microprocessor 46 of the battery test circuitry 10 and microprocessor 152 of scan tool 14 are both utilized in a battery test. For example, the microprocessor 152 of the scan tool 14 can compute conversions between various rating systems, particular test requirements for certain types of vehicles or batteries or other higher level functions. The microprocessor 46 of the battery test circuitry 10 determines the initial battery test results.

In other example embodiments, the battery test circuitry 10 continually broadcasts voltage and/or conductance, current and/or conductance measurements of the databus 12. The battery test circuitry 10 can have an internal power source, be powered from the battery under test 16, or receive power from the scan tool 14. The databus 12 can be used to carry text messages to scan tool 14 for display on display 158 or in another manner. In another example, the memory 154 of the scan tool 14 contains a set of messages. A token or other short hand representation of a text message is transmitted from the battery test circuitry to the scan tool 14 on databus 12. This causes the microprocessor 152 to retrieve a selected message from the memory 154 which can then be displayed on display 158 or otherwise provided as an output. In one embodiment, the battery test circuitry provides an indication of the relative condition of the battery, for example, “good”, “good/recharge”, “charge and retest”, or “replace battery”. Another example condition is “bad cell-replace”. If text messages are contained in a memory of the battery tester 10, the text can be in an appropriate language for the consumer.

In various aspects, the battery test circuitry 10 does not use Kelvin connections. In another example embodiment, a small or large load is included in the battery test circuitry 10. The load is used to apply a load test to the battery. In such an embodiment, the battery test circuitry may operate exclusively based upon such a load test and does not include circuitry to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery 12. In another example, the battery test is based upon a load test as well as a dynamic parameter based test. In another example, the battery test circuitry 10 includes a display for locally displaying information. One type of display includes a simple optical output such as that provided by one or more LEDs. The color or number of LEDs can indicate the result of a battery test. In some embodiments information beyond a battery test can be displayed by the scan tool 14. For example, the scan tool can display voltage, conductance, battery condition, battery cold cranking amps (CCA), a minimum or a maximum sensed voltage, or other measurements. The battery test circuitry 10 can be integrated with a cable that plugs into the scan tool 14. For example, the battery test circuitry 10 can be included in a small housing having one cable for connection to the scan tool 14 and another cable or cables for connections to the battery 12.

In some embodiments, battery test circuitry 10 can include circuitry configured to charge battery 16. In such embodiments, memory 48 can be used to log information regarding any charge which is applied to battery 16.

FIG. 5 is another example embodiment of the present invention in which a scan tool 20 is used to couple to battery test circuitry 10 or to vehicle systems 200. The scan tool 20 couples to vehicle electrical systems 200 through, for example, the on board diagnostic connection 204 to the vehicle. Battery tester circuitry 10 couples to the scan tool 20 through a databus 12. It can be, for example, plugged in to the scan tool 20. Kelvin connections 18 are also provided for coupling to a battery in performing a battery test.

FIG. 6 is a view of the battery tester circuitry 10 configured to couple to cable 202 which contains scan tool 20. Scan tool 20 is shown a display 220 and user inputs 222, such as buttons. The battery tester 10 is illustrated as having no user interface. A scan tool 10 includes a plug 240 configured to plug into plug 242 on battery tester 10. In accordance with OBD standard, plug 240 is also configured to plug into an OBD connection on a vehicle. During operation, the scan tool 20 can be operated using the display 220 and the input buttons 222.

FIG. 7 is a blocked diagram showing various components illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 7, the scan tool 20 includes a microprocessor 250 having a memory 252. OBD input/output circuitry 254 is provided for coupling to the on board database of the vehicle and also for communication with battery tester 10. Memory 252 contains data and programming instructions. Battery tester 10 includes I/O circuitry 262 for coupling to the scan tool 20. Typically, this communication is in accordance with an OBD protocol, so that circuitry within the scan tool can serve a dual use. An optional microprocessor 46 couples to test circuitry 260 and I/O circuitry 262. Test circuitry 260 is illustrated as a block diagram representation of the test circuitry used to perform a battery test through a Kelvin connection. The test circuitry can be analog and/or digital circuitry and may be, for example, partially implemented in microprocessor 46. The scan tool circuitry can receive power from an internal or external source including receiving power from the electronic battery tester.

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram showing an example configuration of battery test circuitry 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, electronic battery tester 10 is shown coupled to storage battery 16 through connections 18. As discussed above, this may comprise, for example, Kelvin connections. Battery tester 10 includes measurement circuitry 280. The measurement circuitry 280 can be in accordance with any battery tester measurement technique including those discussed above. The measurement circuitry 280 may, in some configurations, include a microprocessor or other digital controller.

Measurement circuitry 280 is configured to couple to battery 16 through electrical connectors 18. The measurement circuitry provides a battery test result through output 286 to OBD communication circuitry 282. The output 286 can be a digital or analog output. OBD communication circuitry 282 receives the output 286 and is configured to provide an OBD output signal 288 to an OBD connector 284. The OBD communication circuitry 282 is configured to operate in accordance with OBD communication standards, such as, for example, J1850 PWM, J1850 VPW and/or IS09141/14230. OBD communication circuitry 282 communicates in accordance with an OBD communication standard over databus 12 through OBD connector 284. OBD connector 284 is configured to be a standard OBD connection of the type used in automotive vehicles, for example in accordance with the standard J1962 connector. In various embodiments, circuitry within electronic battery tester 10 is powered by power received from battery 16, from an internal power source within battery tester 10, and/or from power received from scan tool 290. However, other power sources can also be used.

The connector 284 includes 16 electrical “pins” or connectors and is configured to receive and electrically couple to the plug 292 of a standard automotive vehicle scan tool 290. Scan tools are known in the art and operate in accordance with OBD communication protocols for use in querying and communicating with the electrical system of automotive vehicles.

With the present invention, the OBD communication circuitry 282 is configured to operate in a manner similar to the OBD communication circuitry in an automotive vehicle. In this configuration, when a scan tool is coupled to the OBD communication circuitry 282 through connector 284, the scan tool 290 operates as if it is coupled directly to an actual automotive vehicle through the OBD connection of the vehicle. The scan tool 290 includes a similar connector 292 configured to mate with connector 284.

During operation, the battery tester 10 performs a battery test on the storage battery 16. The storage battery 16 may, in some configurations, be contained within a vehicle. The scan tool 290 communicates with OBD communication circuitry 282. OBD communication circuitry 282 provides data which is related to the results of the battery test performed on storage battery 16 measured by measurement circuitry 280. This information is conveyed to scan tool 290 through connector 284, connector 292 and databus 12. In one configuration, the scan tool 290 is a standard scan tool without any specialized programming. In such a configuration, the scan tool 290 receives the information as if it was coming from an automotive vehicle. The scan tool 290 can, for example, display the battery test information on a display or otherwise use the information as desired.

Although the various connections between components shown here are illustrated as being wire connections, the invention is also applicable with wireless connections such as using radiofrequency (RF), infrared (IR), inductive coupling or through other wireless techniques. By providing the battery test circuitry with access to the on board database of the vehicle, additional information can be garnered regarding operation of the vehicle and, in some configurations, operation of the vehicle can be controlled or otherwise configured. In another example configuration, the IO circuitry to communicate with a smart card or other storage medium for use in updating software within the scan tool and/or battery tester.

Although the present application describes the OBD communication protocol, “OBD” is intended to include OBD II communication protocol as well. Example protocols include ISO and SAE standards. Specific examples include:

-   -   ISO 9141     -   ISO 9141-2     -   ISO 14230     -   ISO14230 1/2/3/4 Keyword Protocol 2000     -   ISO11519 1/2/3 Low speed serial data communication     -   ISO11898 1/2/3/4 CAN physical layer     -   ISO11992 1/2/3 Digital information on electrical connections         between towing and towed vehicles     -   ISO15765: 1/2/3/4 Diagnostics on CAN SAE J1850 PWM         -   SAE J1850 VPW     -   SAE J1939: Recommended practice for Truck and Bus control and         communication network     -   SAE J2561: Bluetooth wireless protocol for automotive         application     -   SAE J1708: Serial data communication between microcomputer         systems in Heavy-Duty Vehicle applications     -   SAE J1850: Class B Data communication network for vehicle         application     -   SAE J2411: Single wire CAN network for vehicle application     -   SAE J2610: SCI Communication     -   SAE J2602: LIN Network for vehicle applications     -   SAE J2284-1: High speed CAN at 125 kbps     -   SAE J2284-2: High speed CAN at 250 kbps     -   SAE J2284-3: High speed CAN at 500 kbps SAE J2366-1 ITS Databus

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, any type of battery test or battery test circuitry can be used by battery tester 10. Further, the databus 12 can be in accordance with any databus technique and should not be limited to the examples set forth herein. In various embodiments, battery tester 10 can be powered through power received through battery 16 or can be powered through power received through databus 12 or from a scan tool. 

1. An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery comprising: a first electrical connector configured to electrically couple to a first terminal of the storage battery; a second electrical connector configured to electrically couple to a second terminal of the storage battery; measurement circuitry coupled to the first and second electrical connectors configured to test the storage battery and generate a battery test result; OBD communication circuitry coupled to the measurement circuitry configured to provide an OBD output signal in accordance with an OBD communication standard related to the battery test result; and an OBD connector coupled to the OBD output signal and configured to couple to an OBD compliant automotive vehicle scan tool.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrical connectors provide Kelvin connections.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the OBD output is in accordance with an SAE or ISO standard.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein circuitry of the electronic battery tester is powered with power received from the storage battery.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the measurement circuitry is at least partially embodied in a microprocessor.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 including a memory configured to store information.
 8. A method of testing an electronic storage battery, comprising: electrically coupling to a first terminal of a storage battery with a first electrical connector; electrically coupling to a second terminal of the storage battery through a second electrical connector; measuring a condition of the battery and providing a battery test result using the connections to the first and second terminals of the battery; formatting the battery test result in accordance with an OBD communication standard; and providing the formatted battery test result to an OBD connector configured to couple to an OBD compliant automotive vehicle scan tool.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second electrical connectors provide Kelvin connections.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein measuring a condition includes measuring a dynamic parameter of the battery.
 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the OBD communication standard is in accordance with an SAE or ISO standard.
 12. The method of claim 8 including powering circuitry used to perform the battery test with power received from the storage battery.
 13. The method of claim 8 including storing information in a memory.
 14. A method of testing an electronic storage battery, comprising: means for electrically coupling to a first terminal of a storage battery with a first electrical connector; means for electrically coupling to a second terminal of the storage battery through a second electrical connector; means for measuring a condition of the battery and providing a battery test result using the means for electrically coupling to the first and second terminals of the battery; means for formatting the battery test result in accordance with an OBD communication standard; and means for providing the formatted battery test result to an OBD connector configured to couple to an OBD compliant automotive vehicle scan tool.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for measuring is configured to measure a dynamic parameter of the battery.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the OBD communication standard is in accordance with an ISO or SAE standard.
 17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for measuring is powered with power received from the storage battery.
 18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for measuring is at least partially embodied in a microprocessor.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14 including a memory means for storing information. 